


Sweets for the Sweet

by in_motu_proprio



Series: World War May [3]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Birthday, F/M, M/F, Near Death, very ill character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-13
Updated: 2014-09-13
Packaged: 2018-02-17 05:18:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2297939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/in_motu_proprio/pseuds/in_motu_proprio
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is one of May's memories bookended between the last scene in  T.R.A.C.K.S. and the events of T.A.H.A.T.I.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sweets for the Sweet

_**Present Day**_

Phil sat next to Skye’s bed in one of those squeaky high-backed chairs that seemed standard issue with every horrible, sterile-smelling hospital room. May stood off to the side behind Phil trying to keep the monitors out of her line of vision. This was how they’d been for hours now despite the fact that May hated hospitals and anything related to them, but Coulson was here so she was here. It was the order of things. 

Skye still had blood in her hair. May noticed that two hours ago and spent the intervening time wondering when they’d be able to really wash her up. Unconscious or not, dried blood itched so she hoped they’d get to it soon. That didn’t seem likely though. Skye was roughly the color of recycled paper and had bags of blood being fed through tubes into the chamber she lay in. As she watched Skye’s chest slowly rise and fall, May couldn’t help but think about Snow White in her glass casket.

May couldn’t disengage Coulson from the young woman’s side, so there Phil stayed beating himself up over Skye’s condition. It was getting disconcerting, and May seriously considered trying to shake him out of it. Ward came past a few times but May gave him a look that sent him the other way. Simmons was in and out, but Phil didn’t seem to notice her. All he did was sit there and stare. 

Instead of giving Phil a hard shake, she decided to go for coffee. May brought him one back after she’d taken her own little time out, double sweet with sugar in the raw. Phil liked to not stir the crystals in all the way in so he could chew on the coffee-soaked crystals at the end of the cup. The sound of the crystals in his teeth was like nails on a chalkboard to May, and usually she wouldn’t indulge him, but he liked it and could really use a little show of affection, so she did it. Personally she took hers black, but she never did have the sweet tooth Phil did.

******************************************************************

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**S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy, mid 1980’s.**  


”Come on, May! You need a cake. Everybody needs a cake on their birthday.” Phil leaned over and pointed at a variety of sweets behind glass at the local grocery store. He did this every now and again, told her what she needed. Phil was a traditionalist in nearly every sense of the word. He loved the purity of something as simple as a birthday cake and she liked that he felt so passionately about something that seemed so silly to her. It was like his damn trading cards. Who had a fireproof safe for trading cards and comic books?

“I don’t like sweets.” May watched Phil’s face turn a little, almost as though he’d been betrayed. She could almost see him thinking: how can I trust a woman who doesn’t like sugar? 

“Who doesn’t like sweets? Come on. Pick one.” He gave her a gentle push toward the case and May just pointed. It wasn’t like she’d eat more than a bite or two and only because he was so eager. She’d just never liked sweet things very much. 

Out of all their friends, it had been Phil who remembered her birthday and Phil who’d insisted on taking her out to celebrate despite them both being covered with bruises from hand-to-hand lessons this week. “Strawberry with cream? Really?” 

“Phil,” May rolled her eyes at him, “which one do you want?” Phil’s eyes were greedy, darting back and forth between a few treats. “Chocolate?” He said nothing but she saw his jaw tighten a little. “With chocolate frosting?” Again his jaw twitched. “Fine.” She pointed out the small cake that seemed like an enormous waste and took it from the woman. 

“Excuse me,” Phil smiled at the older woman behind the counter. It was that stupid, boyish smile that made old ladies melt. “Could you please write ‘Happy Birthday Melinda’ on the top?” 

“Phil, come on. Enough already. Really, it’s fine. He’s just being….” May tried to take the cake from the woman, but she pulled it back. 

“Is it your birthday, dear?” May nodded and tried really hard not to roll her eyes. "Oh, happy birthday, sweetheart!” The older woman smiled broadly and got May a butter cookie with a fake cherry in the middle. She handed it off in crunchy wax paper and patted the back of May’s hand with a smile. “It’ll be just a minute.” May waited until the old lady was behind the counter with her back turned to hand the cookie off to Phil who promptly broke it in half and offered her the half with the cherry in it. 

“What do you think I’m going to do with that, because I’m not going to eat it.” She kept her voice low, but her expression was pretty clear as May handed it right back to Phil and dusted her hands off on her pants. “How you aren’t 300 pounds, Phil, I don’t know.” He had crumbs in the corner of his mouth and May tried to tell herself that it wasn’t endearing. He was just being messy. 

Phil led her through the back of the store and wouldn’t tell her why. It annoyed May to no end, but still she followed him. They left the store 10 minutes later with a cake and a small jug of milk because ‘you couldn’t have cake without milk’. He could have just said that before dragging her though the store, but it was Phil. May just rolled her eyes and went along with it. He got like this sometimes. They walked back to the dorms, Phil carrying everything though she argued for the first few minutes that she was capable. “It’s your birthday,” was all Phil would say as though that was a reason for anything at all. 

“You keep saying that as though I don’t know.” May did get to at least open the door for him though he likely would have if given the chance and a third hand. 

Phil nodded to the courtyard behind their dorm. He set the cake down on the worn wooden bench and popped off the plastic top. “Do you? Do you really know how special a birthday is? You are acting like it’s just any day.”He placed his hands on her shoulders with great excitement, getting a smile out of May. A small one. "This is the day Melinda May came into the world.” 

“And that’s a huge cause for celebration?” May was rolling her eyes so she barely caught the movement. Phil was reaching up to take her by the jaw, to make her look at him for real. There was a deep twang that resonated from his fingertips all the way to her groin then back up again and boy was May grateful for the dark. 

“Yes it is.” Phil held her eyes for a long beat before letting her jaw go. May felt a hollowness in her stomach like when you were flying and descended too fast and she tried to hide the expression by turning away to get the milk. When May felt like she wasn’t going to give herself away, she offered him the milk. And just like that the seriousness was gone and Phil was smiling again as he patted his pockets. “Alright… oh, hold on.” Phil stood up and pulled a pack of candles from his pocket, placing the whole pack in all around the greeting on top of the cake. 

“You didn’t buy those at the store.” It wasn’t a question.

“I’ve had them on me all night.” Phil gave May a shy smile. 

“You just wanted cake.” May laughed a little bit, shaking her head at him. “You’re so weird.” 

“But you like it.”

“I do.” May felt that flush rising in her cheeks again. It wasn’t as though she didn’t know what was going on. She’d liked Phil for awhile now. He was a good looking guy, strong, smart, and a complete goofball. He had made it a point to talk to her and invite her into his group of friends early on when she hadn’t been fitting in well. May hadn’t known who to trust at that point, but this goofy looking guy with a mischievous smile and a totally unassuming nature seemed like a good place to start. That was two years ago. Since then, Phil had become her best friend.

May watched the flames play against his darkened face as he lit the candles and decided to do something impulsive. It was her birthday, wasn’t that the excuse Phil had been giving her all night? As Phil lit the last candle, May leaned over the cake and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. “You’re a great friend.” 

Phil’s face fell faster than a lead balloon. It was just a second, but he pulled it back together. “Should I sing?”

“God no.” May laughed and tried to catch Phil’s eye. “What?” 

“Nothing. Make your wish before wax gets all over the frosting.” He wrung his hands a little and May did as requested. 

“Somehow I don’t think wax would be a problem for you when it comes to frosting.” Phil gave her one of those wan little smiles that meant he was hiding his real thoughts. “Phil.” Her hand clasped over his as he plucked the candles out of the cake. “What did I say? It’s been a wonderful night even if I’ve been abrasive.”

“That's not it.” Phil just shook his head and pulled out the small knife he kept on his belt to cut the cake. There were no forks or plates here, just the two of them in the semi-dark courtyard with cake and milk. “Milk?”

“Phil. Come on.” He sighed and gave her a truly exasperated look before setting his frosting slathered knife down in the plastic cake lid.

“I don’t want to be your friend.” May felt her stomach drop through the ground onto some old dinosaur bones. What was he talking about? Had tonight and the preceding two years been some kind of sick joke? Was she set up from the start? May’s heart pounded in her chest, but she kept her face calm. "Rather, I don’t want to be just your friend.” It all mashed together suddenly for her, how the whole night he’d been a perfect gentleman, how he always was with her. She thought about the way he checked on her after a rough sparring match or shared his toast with her when they were hungover. 

“O… oh.” May blinked a few times. “And when I… “

“Uh-huh.”

“And then I said…” Phil winced and May suddenly felt like a total jerk. “But why me?”

When May asked him that, she didn’t expect Phil to laugh at her! It was one of those sarcastic, pointed laughs that made her feel like she wanted to hit something. “You’re kidding, right?” He did that thing where his hands flailed around a little before he started. "First, you’re smart as hell and scary funny when no one’s looking. You have the most beautiful hair I’ve ever seen in my life, even when it’s in a sweaty bun. Your dirty looks can turn people to stone.” Phil was ticking them off on his fingers, stunning May when he just kept going. “Your fried chicken is the best thing I’ve ever tasted and making it with you was the first time I ever actually liked cooking.” May just blinked at him dumbly. “And you have the biggest, kindest heart that nobody knows about. I’ve liked you for awhile, Melinda, and it’s taken me a long time to work up the courage to say anything. So if you just want me to be your friend… I get it. Let’s just eat the cake.” 

Phil sounded totally defeated. Other than feeling like crap for making him feel like crap, May was stunned. Did he really think all those kind things about her? Did he really like her that much that he’d be willing to chance opening himself up? Phil was polite to everyone, but he didn’t actually like most people. This was huge for him. Hell, it was huge for her. It wasn’t like she was some blushing virgin. May had had a boyfriend or two, but that had been more to keep her mother happy, nice Chinese boys who were also just making _their_ mothers happy. It had never been emotional, not like it had felt with him. This was all emotions. May wasn’t good at emotions. “Or I could leave.” Phil moved to stand, but May beat him, blocking his way. 

“…. stay. Just… just give me a minute.” Melinda looked down at him, her eyes searching Phil’s. They were earnest and totally open in that moment. If she was telling the truth, they were hopeful. She was good at interrogation, best in the class in fact, and he wasn’t lying about anything he’d said. “You really ….” Melinda saw the courage gathering in Phil’s eyes and didn’t step back when he stood. There were those fingers on her jaw again, complete with the hot thrum that ran through her at his touch. Her mouth was a little dry and as his lips touched hers, she was worried he’d think her breath was too garlicky from dinner or that the height difference would make it awkward or that she’d bite his tongue or that she’d hate the way he felt against her. 

Those thoughts faded as Phil’s hand moved in at the small of her back and pressed her to him. This was no chaste peck, Phil had coaxed her lips open and was running the tip of his tongue over her bottom lip. She sighed and all of a sudden her hands started working again. She’d been dumbstruck, standing there with arms flat at her sides but now that she remembered she could move them, that she got to touch him. He was burning hot and she could feel his heart pounding in his chest. Had he been like this all night? Why didn’t he just say something straight away? May realized as Phil’s fingers stroked over her hair, that he’d wanted her to have a good birthday memory. He hadn’t done this all intending for it to end with them getting together. It was her kiss that had started this, that quick peck followed by calling him her friend and seemingly breaking his heart. 

That burning ache of arousal she got around him jumped through her nerves at twice the speed, doubling back in the palms of her hands and the back of her neck to make her feel like she was floating. May shifted against him as they kissed, leaving no room. Better, this was so much better than she’d imagined. He was real and warm, strong and sound under her fingertips. It was too much for her to process everything, to both think and kiss Phil, so May shut off the thinking part of her brain for a little while because the kissing, oh the kissing. Phil kissed like he meant every move, like every breath was intentionally placed and every swipe of his tongue planned. He knew exactly what he was doing, and had her twisting like this without touching her below the shoulder blades. She had that powerful pull in the pit of her belly that screamed for sex, and it surprised the hell out of her. Phil surprised the hell out of her and that was not an easy thing to do. 

His forehead touched hers when he finally pulled back to grab a breath. May pulled away after a few seconds and walked backward toward the dorm, giving him a naughty smile. “My room. Ten minutes. Bring the cake.” From the look on Coulson’s face, she’d just made his year.

******************************************************************

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**Present Day**  


 

“May.” Phil's hand on her shoulder pulled May out of her thoughts , making her focus back up into the present as dismal as it might be. “The doctors want to clean her up a little bit.” He was using the calm voice, that quiet but strong tone he used when he had a plan. May nodded and peeled off to follow Coulson out of the room and down the hallway toward where the Bus was parked. There were places to go, people to kill, and she had to have wheels up in five knowing him. 

“She’s going to make it.” Phil wasn’t really talking to her and May knew it, but she nodded anyway so he could believe it. No use in pushing things right now. He had a mission to plan and that would help him get his head right, and flying was going to help her get hers in order. She hoped. They hit the ramp at a quick clip, Coulson telling Ward to get Fitzsimmons back on the Bus. “We’re going to find the GH 325 and she is going to be fine.” May nodded again. “I want wheels up in five.” HIs voice was tight, so she gave him a third and final nod before heading toward the cockpit double time.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Sweets for the Sweet (Podfic)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13302897) by [LilBakht](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilBakht/pseuds/LilBakht)




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